


want you just like lightning

by Corollaire



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: (bc we can all do better than 50 shades), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BDSM, Bathing/Washing, Body Worship, Enthusiastic Consent, F/F, Face-Sitting, Femslash Big Bang Yearly Challenge, Femslash Friday, Masturbation, Oral Sex, Overstimulation, PWP, Pining, Spanking, Strap-Ons, Tease/Denial, Vaginal Fingering, Wax Play, aredhel is a gay mess, three chapters of pining and then i promise it's just pwp
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-11
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2018-09-16 18:43:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 15,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9285074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corollaire/pseuds/Corollaire
Summary: Aredhel yearns for something. Elenwë can give it to her.





	1. i see you around in all these empty faces

**Author's Note:**

> TOC: 1-5 (pining, vanilla sex), 6 (spanking), 7 (bathing together), 8-9 (bondage, tease and denial), 10 (shopping trip), 11 (strap-on), 12 (waxplay)

The stairs leading up to the royal study were narrow and winding. It was, Aredhel reflected, far easier to navigate them in her riding gear than in the wide skirts currently favored by the queen’s court. She wondered how Elenwë managed them every day. 

When she reached the top of the stairs and knocked on Elenwë’s door, there was the sound of something hitting the ground, then a muffled curse. “Come in!”

Smiling, Aredhel pushed the door open.

The queen of Gondolin stood amidst a scattered pile of papers, arms crossed and a frown on her face. At her feet sat a sleek, well-fed tabby cat, primly licking its paw amidst the chaos.

“Is aught amiss?” Aredhel asked, trying to keep a straight face.

“Only that your Orc-spawn has decided that keeping these agricultural reports in order is of little concern.” Elenwë aimed a threatening kick in the general direction of the cat, trying in vain to shoo it away. 

Aredhel knelt, holding her hand out to the cat. “Here, Astaldë. Is Elenwë being cruel to you?”

Elenwë let out a most un-regal snort, bending down to pick up her papers. “Cruel to  _ her _ ?”

Astaldë rubbed against Aredhel’s hands, purring. “She’s naught but a sweetheart,” Aredhel chided playfully. “I cannot believe you would think otherwise.” She moved to help Elenwë gather the agricultural reports, scooping up an armful of dense scribbles, recognizing Elenwë’s cramped style of lettering. Astaldë scampered off, followed by Elenwë’s muttered  _ good riddance. _

“Did you have some important message to carry to me, or did you simply wish to enjoy my company?” Elenwë asked, straightening up and arranging the papers in her arms.

“While I certainly  _ do _ enjoy your company - your self-proclaimed mistress of celebrations wants to let you know that she has finalized arrangements with the guild of musicians for tomorrow evening.”

Elenwë groaned. “Tell Idril that I have  _ no _ desire to make this more of a celebration than need be.” 

“Your two-thousandth begetting day does not come every year.”

“I think that if it were up to my daughter, it would,” Elenwë sighed. “She enjoys the planning of festivities a little too much for my liking.” She held out a hand for the papers in Aredhel’s hands. “Come, let us go see what plot she’s concocted now.”

Their hands brushed. The warmth of Elenwë’s skin sent a flash of heat to Aredhel’s face, and she turned away, hoping the queen had not noticed.

***

Gondolin flourished under Elenwë’s gentle hand, growing like a flower in the queen’s gardens. Since Turgon had perished on the Grinding Ice, Elenwë had led their people with Aredhel’s staunch support. Aredhel had little taste for politics, preferring the freedom of a mounted horse, of a bow in her hands. She was Elenwë’s sword and shield in this strange land, this place that still felt so foreign even after so many years.

_ Do you remember?  _ she sometimes thought of asking Elenwë.  _ Do you remember the golden light of Valinor, the places we explored in secret?  _

_ (Do you remember kissing me?) _

Long before Turgon met Elenwë, before the marriage and the birth of their only child, Aredhel had known Elenwë. They had been friends, and for a time, Aredhel had hoped to become more than that. Had almost dared to dream.

(Her lips had tasted of blackberries, remnants of their summer feast spread out on the grass. Elenwë had laughed, afterwards, and said that she was glad they were such good friends.)

But those memories belonged in the past. Neither of them could afford an affair now, not when Elenwë had so much to look after already. And Aredhel was faithful to Elenwë in everything she did. Her own desires meant naught compared to the vast responsibilities of ruling a realm; Elenwë required her support, and nothing more.

There were things she could never tell her queen. That she dreamt of bare shoulders, pale skin, golden hair falling around her. That when she caught glimpses of Elenwë’s skin through gaps in her clothing, a heat would rise in her throat unbidden. That in the middle of the night, she would jerk awake, need pooling between her legs, Elenwë’s name on her lips.

That she dreamt of kneeling before her queen and opening herself to whatever Elenwë would give her.

And oh, of course they had dallied together in Valinor, of  _ course _ there was the long ago kiss, but there was nothing like what Aredhel needed to fill the ache inside of her.

***

“Are you  _ sure _ everything is ready?” Aredhel asked Idril, a teasing note in her voice. The princess of Gondolin shot her a look that was eerily reminiscent of her mother.

“I have spent the last  _ two months _ planning this. If all is not ready, then by Eru--” Idril shook her head. “It  _ will _ go smoothly.”

The two of them stood in the doorway of the main feasting hall, Idril with her arms crossed, surveying the bustling servants, and Aredhel leaning against the doorway, tugging irritably at her skirts -  _ damn _ these wide styles, they got in the way of everything. The long tables in the hall were laden with food, all the best from the royal kitchens. Idril had invited half the city, it seemed, because nearly every chair was filled, save for those at the high table at the end of the room, which waited for the queen and her court.

“Here she comes,” Idril said, a thrum of nervous energy in her voice. “I hope she is pleased--” 

Aredhel turned and nearly stopped breathing.

She had gotten so used to seeing Elenwë in the quiet, mundane moments of her life - hair mussed from sleep, ink stains on her fingers - that she had almost forgotten how stunningly  _ beautiful  _ she was. 

But now, with Elenwë descending the stairs, golden hair loose about her shoulders like a waterfall, in a deep blue dress sewn with little bits of silver that caught the light and glinted like stars - oh. Oh  _ Eru, _ she had been fooling herself to pretend that she could think of Elenwë as only a friend.

Elenwë met her gaze and Aredhel felt heat flood her chest, desire and something stranger, something that made her feel weightless and glowing. She managed to incline her head, but that only brought her gaze sweeping lower, and  _ Eru dammit  _  that dress was low-cut. Warmth was gathering in entirely inappropriate places, now, and she bit her lip, willing herself to calm down.

The queen stepped down off the stairs and offered a hand to Aredhel. “Shall we?”


	2. sitting eyes wide open

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not quite Wednesday yet but I wanted to post before I had to start studying for my exam tomorrow ://

 

Aredhel was sure that the food was delicious beyond all measure, what with Idril fastidiously collecting all the best cooks in the realm for this particular evening, but she found that she could taste little. Her entire attention was taken by the queen, who sat in full regalia a mere two seats away. 

Elenwë’s hair caught the light until it seemed to glow like a candle flame, like the light of Laurelin lost. Her laughter, gentle and ringing, carried over the noise of the feasting hall. She was so  _ graceful _ , even when she was eating - Aredhel felt like a clumsy beast beside her quiet composure. There were a thousand things she had always known about Elenwë, but only seemed to be noticing tonight: the light in her storm-blue eyes, the way she ducked her head when she laughed, the gentle curve of her neck in the lamplight.

_ Ah, Eru. _

She twisted in her seat and made eye contact with a servant carrying a pitcher of wine. Immediately, he was at her side, pouring her a glass.

“Stay close,” she told him, then downed half of it in one go - a fine vintage, aged well, though nothing like what they had had back in Valinor. The mountains of Gondolin were of little use when it came to growing grapes, though the winemakers did their best.

The servant’s face was perfectly smooth as he poured her another. Well-trained, she noted distantly. 

If she couldn’t ignore Elenwë and her beauty, she could at least attempt to distract herself.

***

The rest of the evening passed by in a blur. At some point, there was music, flutes and harps that trilled out over the audience. Aredhel was sure it was quite pretty, but at that point she was about half a cask of wine in and was sure she would have thought Orc music was pretty by now.

Her fingers were starting to go pleasantly numb by the time the noise in the hall began to die down, people filing out into the cool night air. 

Time to return to her bed, she supposed, and try to sleep away her cares. 

Aredhel stood and the world spun. Reaching for the back of her chair, she steadied herself, taking a deep breath. She hadn’t drunk this much in ages; she might have overestimated her tolerance. Getting up the stairs in these skirts would be an issue.

Well, there was an easy solution to that.

Ignoring the way Idril was looking at her in concern, she began to undo the stays on the back of her dress.

“Aredhel--”

Elenwë looked up and her brow furrowed in concern. “Ireth, what are you doing?”

Aredhel froze, suddenly aware of the eyes on her, the queen’s court at the high table staring and whispering. “...‘s hot,” she managed after a moment. It was no lie. Elenwë’s gaze on her felt like a thousand suns.

The queen stood. “Thank you for the wonderful celebration,” she said to Idril. “I think it is time for us to retire.”

Idril nodded, a shy smile on her face. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

***

Elenwë said nothing as she helped Aredhel up the stairs, one arm around her waist and Aredhel’s arm thrown over her shoulder. Aredhel could focus on nothing but the feeling of Elenwë’s body against hers; it made getting up the stairs quite the challenge. When they finally reached her room, Aredhel clung to Elenwë, too far gone to be embarrassed. Elenwë extricated herself with care, moving to the wall to light the lamp as Aredhel leaned against her desk, the room tilting with each breath she took.

“ _ Now _ you can remove whatever articles of clothing you wish,” Elenwë said, and for a moment Aredhel thought - but no. Of course not. Elenwë would only ever be friendly towards her, and it was foolish to wish for more.

She honestly tried her best to believe that, to convince her aching heart that it was time to move on. But her heart had always been stubborn.

She fumbled at her stays. Elenwë sighed and moved to help her, her sudden proximity making heat flood Aredhel’s body. When she was free of her outer layers, Aredhel leaned against Elenwë, inhaling the sweetly floral scent of her skin.

“You smell nice,” she informed her queen. Elenwë huffed a laugh.

“And you smell of wine. Let’s get you into bed, shall we?” 

Aredhel took a step and nearly fell against Elenwë, who grabbed her arms and steadied her. 

“How much did you drink?”

“Enough,” Aredhel mumbled, offering her a lopsided smile. Elenwë’s face was so close, pale skin gilded by the flickering lamplight, full lips parted slightly-- 

She leaned in and kissed her. Elenwë’s lips were soft and warm. Aredhel felt her tense with surprise before pulling away. For a moment, they stared at each other, Aredhel’s dark eyes and Elenwë’s blue. There was only friendly concern in Elenwë’s gaze.

“You’re drunk,” Elenwë said gently. “Go to bed.”

Aredhel’s cheeks felt like they were on fire. She let Elenwë lead her to the bed and tuck her in like a child, cool hand lingering on her arm for a moment before Elenwë turned and left the room. Aredhel buried her face in her pillow once the lamp was blown out and the door was shut.

_ I’m going to regret that in the morning, _ she thought.


	3. touch me like you never

Aredhel woke to the sound of birds singing outside her window. For a moment, she lay there, arms outstretched, wondering why her head felt so fuzzy, and why she was still in her undergarments from the night before.

The night before--

Memory came crashing back and she sat up straight, hand flying to her mouth. Heat flooded her face as she recalled how drunk she had gotten, how Elenwë had helped her upstairs, how she had kissed her.  _ Kissed _ her like a complete fool, right after resolving that they would never be more than friends, when Elenwë had doubtless wanted nothing to do with her in her drunken state.

She was a complete  _ idiot _ .

Groaning, she turned over and pulled her blankets over her head. Maybe if she lay in bed long enough, she would wake again to find that it had all been a dream.

***

About an hour later, when it seemed that there was no miracle coming to save her from her humiliation, Aredhel rose and donned a casual robe of dark grey, tying the sash about her and trying to straighten her hair - her damned frizzy curls never stayed flat. It was well past high noon, so she decided that heading to the kitchens to wheedle food from the chefs was the best decision with the least potential for further embarassment. The longer she could avoid the queen’s court - and the queen herself - the better.

Unfortunately, the moment she opened her door, she found herself face-to-face with Elenwë.

“Good morning,” Elenwë’s said, smiling.

Aredhel blinked, then: “Good morning.”

“Are you feeling better?”

“I--” Aredhel swallowed. “That is, yes. Thank you.”  _ I'm sorry about last night,  _ she almost said, but refrained. Maybe they could both just pretend that nothing had happened.

(But the way Elenwë’s lips had softened against hers for a moment, parting ever so slightly--)

She felt a red heat climbing her neck and pretended to cough, trying to hide her embarrassment. “I was on my way down to the kitchens,” she managed. “Is there aught that you want?”

“Nay, I already ate.” Elenwë flashed her another smile. “Don’t let me keep you, though.”

Aredhel edged past her queen, inhaling the lightly floral scent of her skin as she passed a mere hands-width from her. It did nothing to help the blush she was sure showed against her brown skin. Eru, but she was acting like a child in immature love.

***

Her stomach felt strange, so she settled for some bread and avoided the leftover wine (surprising, really, that there was any remaining). One of the cooks saw her edging in through the open door and raised an eyebrow, but she was in and out of the kitchens often enough in search of midnight (or midday) sustenance that her presence did not seem to raise much alarm.

Once she had secured food, she retreated to the library, knowing that there was little chance of anyone else being there at this time of the day. She needed  _ space _ , and time to think alone.

She settled down on the floor between two towering shelves, spreading her robe out around her and biting into the bread. 

What to do about this - situation?

_ You’re a fool, _ she thought, not for the first time that morning. Every time she let down her guard, the memories from the night before would come creeping back in - the heat of the feasting hall, Elenwë’s skin against hers, the kiss.

(It brought back memories of golden light in Valinor, Elenwë and the summer berries on her lips,  _ I’m glad we’re such good friends.) _

It was abundantly clear that Elenwë did not return her feelings. Aredhel’s path forward was equally clear.

_ There is nothing else to do. _ She could not afford to let her feelings get in the way of serving her queen. If Elenwë wished to be no more than friends, then they would remain friends from now until the end of days, and nothing more. A sisterly sort of love was better than losing any love between them, as she was sure to do if she continued to pursue Elenwë. She would simply have to suppress her feelings.

_ Because that went so well the last time you tried it, _ a snide voice in the back of her mind noted. She pushed it down. Perhaps resolving to never drink again would also help.

***

Over the next few days, she noticed something strange.

At first, she thought it was only her imagination, that she had become so painfully aware of Elenwë’s presence that no matter where she was, it was too close. But it felt as though Elenwë was standing closer to her than she was wont to before, her gaze lingering longer when their eyes met. Aredhel tried to dismiss it, but it continued to happen - she would look up during a council meeting to see Elenwë’s storm-blue eyes fixed on her. Elenwë would not look away immediately, either, but would rather smile every so slightly before returning to whatever it was she was doing.

It was more than a little distracting, especially in council, where Aredhel had always felt restless and uncomfortable. 

And it was worse outside the council room. There, no meeting table separated them, and it seemed that Aredhel lived in a cloud of lilac and rose now, Elenwë’s scent following her, clinging to her clothes and invading every quiet moment with thoughts of her queen. Elenwë seemed to find every excuse to brush against her, lingering touch setting fire to Aredhel’s skin. 

And it was most certainly  _ not _ her imagination that the queen’s wardrobe, usually perfectly aligned with the court’s styles, had undergone a change. Elenwë wore low-cut dresses often, to be sure, but these were a step beyond anything Aredhel had seen on her before. She could see the shadow between Elenwë’s breasts, the smooth rise of pale flesh, and it made heat curl deep in Aredhel’s stomach.

_ What is she doing? _

***

At night, Aredhel touched herself, imagining golden hair tangled in her hands, soft lips on hers. Lilac and roses on her breath, grey-blue eyes like a clouded sky over the Hidden City. She imagined another’s hands tracing cool fingers down her throat, fondling her breasts, trailing lower.

_ You shouldn’t be doing this, _ she thought, and the secret shame made the heat between her legs build higher. She climaxed hard, biting her lip to keep from making a noise.

She lay in a haze of warmth and bliss, panting. Tomorrow, she decided. Tomorrow, she would go see Elenwë and clear this up once and for all.


	4. swing a little further

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ayyy the rating went up and the tags have updated

 

The next day, Aredhel accosted Idril in the hallway outside the council room. “Do you know where Elenwë is?”

Idril adjusted her armful of papers before answering. “Her study, I believe. Why?”

“Ah - important council matters.”

“Is that so?” Idril looked suspicious now. Aredhel cursed mentally - it was a weak excuse to give to someone who had a hand in nearly everything the council did. “Well, don’t let me keep you.”

***

It took all of her nerve to raise her hand and knock on the queen’s study door. 

“Come,” came Elenwë’s voice, muffled by the thick wood. Aredhel pushed the door open. Elenwë sat at her desk by the window, bent over a piece of paper, pen in hand. The sunlight streaming in through the glass lit her hair into a golden haze that hung about her shoulders. Aredhel swallowed hard.

_ How is she so beautiful? _

Elenwë looked up at her and raised an eyebrow. “So you finally came to see me.”

“I - what?”

Her queen stood, putting down her pen. She stepped away from the desk and towards Aredhel, who felt a now-familiar heat setting in.

“You came to see me,” Elenwë repeated. “Is there something on your mind?”

Aredhel opened her mouth and discovered that she had no idea how to put into words the certainty that Elenwë had been  _ teasing her _ these past few days. 

“We need to talk,” she finally said.

“Do we, now?” Elenwë took a step closer, the gap between them now small enough that Aredhel could have reached out and touched Elenwë’s arm (Not that she intended to. This was a serious conversation, Eru damn it, and she couldn’t let her desires get in the way of that.)

“Yes.” Aredhel drew herself upright, summoning all her dignity. What remained of it, at least. “About what happened at the feast, and after. I feel that I may have given you the wrong impression.”

Elenwë tilted her head to one side. “I’m afraid I don’t follow.”

“When you helped me upstairs, and then I - kissed you--” She rushed past the word, flustered. “It’s only - Elenwë, I feel that it has changed something in our friendship, and I want nothing more than to be your  _ friend _ , I could not bear it if I had damaged that--” Aredhel broke off as Elenwë laughed. “What?”

“Sometimes I think you’re quite the fool,” Elenwë sighed, hand coming up to touch Aredhel’s cheek. Aredhel had time to take a sharp breath in before Elenwë’s lips were on hers, warm and yielding. Aredhel opened her mouth in shock and Elenwë’s tongue dipped in, teasing at her bottom lip before she pulled away.

Aredhel could only stare at her wordlessly.

“You are more than a friend to me,” Elenwë whispered, a burning light in her eyes. “And you are  _ quite _ the bad liar, so I know what I am to you. The question is, what do you wish to do about it?”

Aredhel’s mind was a whirling blank (Elenwë tasted like sunlight, she realized, if sunlight had a taste) and she blinked silently for a moment or two, trying to wrap her mind around Elenwë’s words.

“Whatever you want, Elenwë,” she managed to say at last, because the thoughts that came into her head -  _ I wish you to lay claim to me, to take me right here and now and make me yours -  _ were too much, too fast. 

“I want you.” Elenwë’s hand closed around Aredhel’s wrist, tugging her closer. She closed her eyes and let Elenwë kiss her again, the queen’s mouth firm against hers, tongue pushing in insistently. Then Elenwë’s hands were on her body, slipping around her waist, up her back, tugging at the buttons on her dress. 

“Would it please you if we were wearing less?” Aredhel mumbled against Elenwë’s mouth. She felt her queen chuckle, the sound vibrating through her.

“It would indeed.”

“Then by all means.” Aredhel stepped back, rueing only slightly the loss of Elenwë’s skin against hers, and turned to let Elenwë undo her buttons. Her dress fell to the floor and she stepped out of it, kicking it aside. Dressed only in her undergarments, she shivered slightly before Elenwë’s hands were back on her, lips crashing back into hers. Aredhel reached for the sash on Elenwë’s robe, pulling at the soft cloth, fumbling slightly as she tried to undo the knot without breaking away from the kiss.

Then Elenwë pulled away. Aredhel’s fingers slipped off the sash. “Wait.”

“What is it?”

“The door.” She turned and hurried over to the study door, which Aredhel realized with a flash of mild alarm had been left ajar. Elenwë closed it firmly and then, for good measure, slid the lock home. “There.” She smiled. “It wouldn’t do for some innocent courtier to pass through this hall and  _ happen _ to glance inside--”

“No indeed,” Aredhel laughed, reaching for Elenwë’s hand. “Who  _ knows _ what they might see.”  _ This is really happening, _ she thought giddily.  _ Elenwë is right here before me, we truly did just kiss-- _

Her thoughts were interrupted by Elenwë’s fingers in her hair, carding through the kinked curls in a way that sent delicious tingling flashes through Aredhel’s scalp. She let Elenwë press her backwards until her legs hit the edge of the writing desk by the window.

“You are,” Aredhel gasped out between kisses, “ _ entirely _ too clothed.”

Elenwë laughed. “Awfully demanding, aren’t you.” But she let Aredhel undo her sash, her robe falling away, revealing her breasts, pink nipples against pale flesh. Aredhel bent her head and took the tip of one into her mouth, suckling at it, reveling in the way it made Elenwë gasp and arch her back. She ran her tongue over the pebbled surface, letting her teeth ghost against the fragile skin.

She ran her hands over Elenwë’s waist, feeling Elenwë touch her in return, shoulders and the back of her neck and fumbling between them to grasp at her breasts. Elenwë’s skin was smooth and cool against her fingers. She found herself fixating on the smallest details - the brush of Elenwë’s hair against her skin, the soft way she canted her hips into Aredhel’s touch. 

All she wanted was for Elenwë to bend her over this desk and  _ take _ her. 

“Touch me,” she whispered, and Elenwë drew back, an eyebrow raised. “Please,” she added hurriedly. 

Elenwë smiled and ran her hands over Aredhel’s stomach, touch like a whisper of wind. In the sunlight, she seemed to glow, fading into the light. “Oh, but I am touching you.” Her hands settled on either side of Aredhel’s center, fingers digging slightly into the dark skin of Aredhel’s thighs. “Or did you want me to touch you elsewhere?”

Aredhel bit her lip. Eru, but Elenwë was going to make her ask for it - and more than that, Aredhel  _ loved _ that, loved that it sent arousal thrumming through her.

“Please fuck me.” 

Elenwë’s smile grew into a satisfied grin. “As you wish.” She moved her hand, slipped a single finger into Aredhel’s wetness. Aredhel resisted the urge to thrust her hips forward to demand more, settled for leaning back against the desk, grasping the edge of the wood so hard her knuckles went white, and letting Elenwë pepper her neck with soft kisses that sent trembling thrills down her chest. 

Elenwë seemed to take her time exploring Aredhel’s body, that solitary finger moving languidly in and out of Aredhel. Then a second finger joined the first, and Aredhel nearly gasped at the stretch, the pleasant ache that was building between her legs. Overcome by the urge to do something in return, she moved her hands up to toy with Elenwë’s breasts.

She bit her lip when Elenwë began to speed up her movements, two fingers thrusting into her sex. And she finally cried aloud when Elenwë curled her fingers just right and  _ pushed _ against that spot within her that sent lightning shooting up her spine.

“Ah - do that again,” she murmured, and Elenwë complied, making Aredhel quiver. A feeling of wetness against her bare thigh made her look down, and the sight of Elenwë straddling her leg, subtly moving her hips back and forth to rub against Aredhel’s skin - Aredhel nearly lost herself then and there. 

For a time, there was only the sound of their breathing, heavy and loud in the silence of the study. Elenwë’s ministrations were driving Aredhel closer and closer to the brink, but she couldn’t quite reach it, not without a little more.

Elenwë seemed to realize this, and slowed her motions, looking at Aredhel as though for guidance.

“I have never--” Elenwë broke off, and Aredhel realized to her surprise that there was a faint red blush spreading across the queen’s face. “I have never lain with a woman before. Am I doing anything incorrectly?”

Aredhel laughed, breathless. “You are doing  _ wonderfully _ . Just let me--” She reached between them, twisting Elenwë’s hand slightly, guiding her thumb to Aredhel’s clit. “Here.”

Elenwë rubbed, the movement made slick by Aredhel’s wetness, and Aredhel couldn’t help the sharp gasp that escaped her lips. Apparently emboldened, Elenwë repeated the motion, simultaneously resuming the thrust of her fingers in and out. The movement of her hips quickened as well, the slide of delicate skin against Aredhel’s thigh making a soft noise in the quiet.

Aredhel threw back her head, hands fastening onto the edge of the desk and digging nails into the wood. It was almost too much, the feeling of fullness and delicious friction, the writhing of Elenwë’s body against hers, the quickening of their breath as they both neared climax--

She fell over the edge, biting back a cry as waves of pleasure encompassed her, Elenwë’s fingers guiding her through an orgasm that left her shaking. Elenwë gasped and stiffened, hips stuttering against Aredhel’s leg as she climaxed quietly.

They sank to the floor together in a tangle of limbs and hot breath. Aredhel ended up under Elenwë, who rested her head against Aredhel’s breasts, hair a golden spill against dark skin. They lay like that for a time, heartbeats slowly returning to normal.

“Why didn’t you tell me before?” Aredhel asked, running a hand idly through Elenwë’s silken hair. “That you wanted me, I mean.”  _ It would have saved me a lot of heartache, _ she refrained from saying.

Elenwë shifted to look up at her. “At the feast, you mean? You were nearly senseless with drink, I could not have justified doing  _ anything _ with you when you were in such a state.”

“Fair.” Aredhel paused, then: “And - would you want to do this again?”

Elenwë smiled, and it was like the breaking of the sun over the mountains of Gondolin. “I would like nothing more.”


	5. ignite me

The next few days passed by in a blur of exhilaration - every time Aredhel saw Elenwë, every time their eyes met, a thrill of clandestine joy passed through her entire body. It was a delicious secret to be carrying around, that her queen had taken her against her desk only a few days prior.

And even better were the moments when no one was watching.

Aredhel swore her mouth would be bruised from kissing within the week if this continued apace. Every moment she found herself alone with Elenwë it was all lips meeting lips, hands over and under clothing, and heated breath.

Yet they had not gone beyond kissing and touching since that morning in Elenwë’s study. Elenwë was busy with her court, and they both agreed that it would be suspicious if Aredhel stayed the night in Elenwë’s quarters. Nevertheless, every quick, stolen moment with her was something Aredhel treasured, even if something in her yearned for more.

***

Elenwë was in a council meeting, one of the few that Aredhel did not have to attend, so she retired to her own bedchambers and collapsed onto her bed, relieved to be away from the prying eyes of the court that always whispered when she wore her riding clothes to council. 

She and Elenwë had almost been caught earlier that morning: one of the guards had walked past the small balcony they were hidden on, a wispy curtain the only thing between them and the wide open hallway. Elenwë had laughed, once the guard had passed, a light in her eyes. It was almost as if she enjoyed the danger of being nearly caught. That seemed to be contagious - Aredhel had found herself giddy, smothering her own smile against Elenwë’s lips. 

But Aredhel needed  _ more _ than just kissing. 

Every encounter with Elenwë left her with a directionless heat between her legs, an ache for more of Elenwë’s fingers and mouth. The fact that she had little to distract herself now with only made the situation worse. 

She rolled over onto her back, skirt riding up so her bare legs lay against the soft covers. Almost absentmindedly, her hand crept down, pulling aside cloth to expose her center to her questing fingers.

Now, she could close her eyes and imagine it was Elenwë there, fingers growing more skilled with practice, dipping inside her and toying with her clit, sending waves of warm pleasure through her. 

Elenwë had been in her bedchambers many times, but never had they shared a bed - so she pictured it now, Elenwë’s warm weight against her, her fingers inside of her.

Aredhel couldn’t help the moan that escaped her lips as her fingers worked over her clit more swiftly - but she was alone in her chambers, and there was little point in trying to keep quiet when there was no one to hear her, so she threw back her head and imagined Elenwë trailing kisses down her neck, making her gasp.

Elenwë would be commanding, she imagined, would order her to her knees and make her service her queen. The thought made Aredhel bite her lip - she wanted to taste Elenwë, to feel her pleasure on her tongue. She wanted to  _ serve _ .

She raked her fingers over her breasts, a little more roughly than she thought Elenwë might do, and the flare of almost-pain sent unexpected pleasure shooting through her center. Intrigued, she tried it again, digging her nails in more this time, and it felt like lightning shooting across her skin.

And maybe Elenwë would hurt her, she thought, just like this, would take her apart with careful fingers as Aredhel begged for - more? Perhaps. Just the idea brought her to the edge of climax; she slowed her fingers’ motion, wanting to draw this out. Yes, Elenwë would do this, hold her at the brink of pleasure to tease her, prolong their time together.

There were so many things she wanted Elenwë to do to her.

_ You ought to talk to Elenwë about this, _ a small voice inside of her noted.

Perhaps later. For now, the building heat between her legs was too urgent. She pressed her fingers inside herself, imagining Elenwë’s lips there, on her sex, bringing her to orgasm.

She crashed over the edge with a loud moan, toes curling with the force of her pleasure.

***

She found Elenwë alone in the library after a council meeting, the crease between her brows betraying the lingering stress from dealing with her court. The tension melted from her face when she looked up and saw Aredhel, though, and for a moment Aredhel felt a spark of guilt for coming with the intention to confront her.

_ No. This is important. _

“Are you busy?” she asked. “I was thinking, if you want, we could--” She raised an eyebrow, smiling slightly. 

Elenwë sighed and gave the answer Aredhel was expecting to hear. “I’ve got these reports to read, Ireth, as much as I would love to--”

“You’re always occupied with  _ something _ .” It came out harsher than she had intended, but there was no taking it back. 

Elenwë looked exasperated. “I have a city to run. You know that.”

“Still.” Aredhel crossed her arms, aware that she sounded like a petulant child, but she couldn’t  _ not _ say the words that came to her mouth, she couldn’t hold back from the desire for more from Elenwë. “ _ I  _ enjoy our time together. I would think that if you do--”

“Ireth--”

Aredhel plowed on. “--then you would make  _ time _ for me.”

Elenwë opened her mouth, eyes flashing dangerously - then she closed it and took a deep breath. “No. I will not fight with you.” She approached, hesitation in her face, and took Aredhel’s hand. “What is this really about?”

_ Ai, I should have known. _ Aredhel looked down at their joined hands, twining their fingers together. She ran a thumb over the back of Elenwë’s hand, feeling the softness of her skin.

“What do you  _ need _ ?” When she looked up, she saw that Elenwë’s gaze was dark and heavy with desire, and something about the way she held herself - shoulders back, chin up - made Aredhel shiver with need.

She swallowed, forced the words out. “To submit.” The statement felt naked on its own, so she hastily tacked on, “Milady.”

Elenwë’s eyes widened. For a moment, Aredhel thought she was horrified, that she would turn away and dismiss her outright. Then a cool smile broke across the queen’s face.

“We can work with that,” she said, and Aredhel felt a thrill run through her at the words. “Meet me in my quarters at sundown.”


	6. got me down on both knees

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's always exciting to update the tags
> 
> also, for silmladylove's femslash potluck, NSFW bingo card: First Times, Fantasies (comma fulfillment of), Striptease... which gets me a bingo on that card!

Aredhel paused on the landing outside Elenwë’s room. Anticipation had been building in her through the entire afternoon, a nervous sort of twist in her stomach coupled with the undeniable heat of arousal every time she thought about Elenwë, of what she might have in store tonight. And now that she was here, on the brink of something incredible, she could no longer deny that she was also  _ nervous _ .

_ Oh, don’t be a fool. This is  _ Elenwë.  _ If you can’t trust her -  _

Of course. There was no one she would rather give herself to.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door.

Elenwë stood by the bed, one hand on the rich mahogany bedpost. She wore a sheer black dress that clung to her curves and did little to hide anything at all. Her hair was loose, spilling around her shoulders in a waterfall that caught the dying light of the sun filtering through the curtains.

“You came.”

Aredhel inclined her head. “How could I resist such a tempting offer?” She stepped fully into the room, closing the door behind her, and a smile ghosted across Elenwë’s face.

“I have some rules for you, while we are here.” Elenwë stepped away from the bed, coming closer but stopping just short of touching Aredhel, who wanted nothing more than to reach out and run her hands through that golden hair. 

“Rules?” Aredhel echoed. Elenwë smiled, and there was something strange and dark there.

“Surely you can handle a few of those.”

“And if I disobey?” Aredhel asked, a thrill running through her. 

Elenwë’s smiled widened. “Then you will be punished.”

The queen’s words made heat pool between Aredhel’s legs, the sudden red of her cheeks seemingly betraying this to Elenwë, whose gaze turned hungry. And Aredhel, the huntress of renown, felt herself pinned down by Elenwë’s gaze like a rabbit caught in the jaws of a wolf.

“Rule number one,” Elenwë continued, only the light in her eyes betraying her clear excitement. “You will touch me only after asking permission. Do you understand?”

Aredhel hesitated, then nodded. Eru, but that one would be hard - already, her hands itched to disobey.

“Two. If you wish for anything we are doing to come to a halt, I want you to use some word that would seem out of place to signal that you wish to stop. Which would you prefer?”

The implications of that - that Elenwë would continue on past Aredhel’s superficial protests, while still giving her something safe to fall back on - made it quite hard to come up with anything coherent. “ _ Ráca _ ,” she finally settled on.  _ Wolf _ , because of how Elenwë made her feel hunted in a way that made arousal flare in her.

Elenwë nodded. “Very well. And the last rule - for now - is that you will obey my orders without question. Understand?”

“For now?” Aredhel raised an eyebrow. “Will there be  _ more _ rules?”

“If I deem them necessary.” 

And now, Elenwë touched her, the faintest brush of a finger against the back of Aredhel’s hand enough to make her shiver. 

“Kneel,” she whispered, and Aredhel dropped to her knees so fast she could have sworn someone had sliced her tendons. She was  _ ready _ for this, ready as she had never been in her life for anything. 

Elenwë met her gaze and slowly, deliberately, began to undo the buttons on her robe. It slipped steadily down her body, revealing the curve of her neck, her shoulders, her breasts. Aredhel had to remind herself to breathe as Elenwë’s hands moved downwards - the softness of her stomach, the golden thatch of hair between her legs - and the robe fell to the floor. Aredhel’s face was level with Elenwë’s center; she could smell her arousal in the air.

Forgetting herself, Aredhel reached out, hands brushing Elenwë’s calf. Immediately, Elenwë stepped backwards, a warning look in her eyes.

“Forgetting the rules already? That’s hardly a good start.”

“I--” Aredhel had forgotten, truth be told, but if this was a game they were playing then she was going to play it right. She looked up at Elenwë, letting an insolent smile play across her face. “What, will you punish me?”

Faster than Aredhel would have thought possible, Elenwë’s hand flashed out, grabbing Aredhel’s wrist and yanking her upright. Aredhel couldn’t help the undignified yelp that escaped her lips as Elenwë pushed her onto the bed face-first. She caught herself on her hands and looked back over her shoulder to find Elenwë bending over her.

“I  _ did _ warn you, you know,” Elenwë breathed in her ear. Her hand moved, and for a moment Aredhel thought she was going to touch her where she needed so badly to be touched, but instead Elenwë pulled the hem of her dress up past her waist, exposing her bare bottom. Before Aredhel could protest, Elenwë delivered a stinging slap there, the sound echoing in the silence of the room. 

Aredhel gasped, heat flooding her face. Elenwë was disciplining her like a disobedient  _ child _ , and that should not have made her as wet as it did.

“Count for me,” Elenwë said, a faint tremor in her voice. Aredhel glanced at her to find that the queen’s face was as red as she imagined her own to be. 

_ Well, at least you’re not the only one reacting like that, _ something in her reasoned. 

Elenwë met her gaze, lowering her hand slightly, a hesitant look crossing her face. “Is this - you have your word, if this is too much.”

Aredhel smirked, arching her back slightly to present her backside to Elenwë. “One.” She caught a glimpse of Elenwë’s smile before another stinging blow landed on her left cheek. “Two.” Another, and another. The queen alternated between each cheek, sometimes striking with thudding force and other times more lightly and stinging. This continued for some time, until Aredhel was all but squirming in Elenwë’s lap.

The growing heat on her backside from the blows was matched by that pooling between her legs. She was so wet she was surely soaking through the cloth of her dress bunched up beneath her. Elenwë must have sensed this, because she paused and slipped a hand between Aredhel’s legs, fingering at her sex and coming away dripping.

“You enjoy this,” she said, bringing her fingers to Aredhel’s mouth to make her taste the salt of her own arousal. Embarrassed, Aredhel nodded. Elenwë nodded, looking thoughtful as she wiped her fingers on Aredhel’s dress.

“On your back,” she ordered.

Aredhel complied, rolling off Elenwë’s lap and onto the thick blanket. Elenwë considered her for a moment, then moved up the bed, swinging one leg over Aredhel’s head so her sex hovered near Aredhel’s face.

“You may touch me,” Elenwë breathed.

Aredhel reached up, pulling Elenwë’s hips down towards her mouth, and this - this was not unfamiliar to her, though she had never lain with Elenwë - there had been other women who she had serviced with her mouth, even if not in quite this position.

She buried her face in Elenwë’s folds, licking a long stripe up through them. Elenwë shuddered, and Aredhel felt it all about her and decided that yes, this position was  _ more _ than pleasing.

Head trapped between Elenwë’s legs, Aredhel had little choice but to devote herself entirely to her task. She licked and sucked, tongue teasing at Elenwë’s entrance, teeth brushing feather-light against her clit. She discovered that Elenwë enjoyed light flicks of her tongue against her nub, so she alternated between that and running the flat of her tongue through her folds.

It was easy to fall into a rhythm, with Elenwë’s gasps overhead and the faint trembling of her thighs on either side of Aredhel’s head heralding the approach of her climax. After a while, the noises coming from Elenwë grew louder, and Aredhel took that as her cue to focus entirely on the queen’s clit, sucking gently at it.

Elenwë came with a loud cry, hands clenching in the blankets around them, the slickness of her climax painting Aredhel’s chin with wet.

Aredhel gave a few last licks and let Elenwë shudder out her pleasure, legs shaking. When the queen climbed off of her, Aredhel saw that there was a satisfied smile on her face.

“Very good,” Elenwë whispered, and Aredhel felt a thrill of pleasure at the words of praise. She moved to lie beside her, bare breasts pressed against Aredhel’s arm. 

Now that she was done servicing Elenwë, there was nothing to distract Aredhel from the star-bright arousal between her legs. She shifted, looking at Elenwë to find the queen’s eyes closed as though she were asleep.

“Aren’t you going to--” Aredhel burst out without thinking. Elenwë’s eyes drifted open.

“Going to what?” The teasing note in her voice indicated that she knew  _ exactly _ what Aredhel needed.

Aredhel let out a frustrated breath. “ _ Elenwë. _ ”

Elenwë closed her eyes again, throwing one arm across Aredhel’s stomach and burying her face in her shoulder. “You’ll get your pleasure when I wish you to, and not a moment before,” she mumbled into Aredhel. “Besides...” She yawned, trailing off. “You’ve quite tired me out.”

Aredhel couldn’t help but smile at that. “Yes, milady.”

She lay still and let Elenwë fall asleep against her as she did her best to will the arousal in her center to die down, with little success. It hardly helped that every time Elenwë moved in her sleep, her breasts would brush against Aredhel’s skin. 

This was, Aredhel reflected, a sort of delicious torture. To be so close, but held back by only a handful of words from her queen. She could disobey - and Elenwë might not even know - but she  _ wouldn’t _ , and both of them knew it.

It was all she had wished for and more.


	7. kiss me with adventure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For silmladylove's femfeb potluck: NSFW/Kink Bingo card: Bathing, Morning Sex

 

Aredhel woke the next morning to sunlight streaming in through the window, highlighting the curtains in gold and illuminating the empty sheets beside her. She sat up, disoriented, looking around, and found Elenwë sitting at her desk, pen scratching at paper.

“We ought to discuss a few things,” Elenwë said without looking up.

“Discuss?” Aredhel echoed, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. She ran a hand through her hair, trying to straighten it out. “Is this a committee meeting now?”

Elenwë’s lips twitched with a hint of a smile. She set her pen down, looking up at Aredhel. “Last night was - wonderful. If you wish to continue--”

“I do,” Aredhel jumped in hastily. “More than anything.”

“Good.” Elenwë smiled. “We need to establish some ground rules. Firstly, everything from last night still stands. Second - you really can’t sleep in my room anymore. This once is fine, but if you make a habit of it, others might notice.”

“Fair enough.” Aredhel slid bare feet onto the hardwood floor, making her way over to where Elenwë sat. “May I...?”

Elenwë smiled. “You may touch me.”

Aredhel wrapped her arms around Elenwë’s shoulders, burying her face in her hair and inhaling the sweet scent of her queen. “Do I really have to ask every time?” she mumbled.

“If you truly do not wish to, then I will not force you into anything.” Elenwë extricated herself, blue eyes playful. “But I think you rather like having a few rules to follow, no?”

Aredhel blushed. “I - I suppose so.”

“Speaking of rules.” Elenwë ran a hand up Aredhel’s arm idly. “The ones from last night still stand, and if there are any I wish to add, I shall. But this is - this is not a one-sided arrangement, Ireth.” She looked up at her, suddenly serious. “What do  _ you _ want out of this?”

“To submit to you,” Aredhel replied immediately. Last night - last night had been so  _ easy _ , falling into a comfortable role that seemed made for her. She wasn’t sure how to put into words the sudden crystal clarity that the world had taken on while she was serving Elenwë. She only knew that she wanted to experience that again. “I want you to do whatever you want to me, as long as it pleases you.”

Elenwë smiled. “There is much I would do to you.”

Aredhel nearly shivered at those words. 

“And do not think that this will be easy,” Elenwë added. “I shall not be gentle with you.”

“I would wish for nothing else.” She held Elenwë’s gaze for a moment. Elenwë took her hand. 

“Now.” The queen smiled. “I seem to recall both of us falling asleep before we could get cleaned up. Shall we remedy that?”

***

The royal baths were deserted at this hour of the morning. Aredhel watched unabashedly as Elenwë stripped down, tossing her robe aside and stepping into the pool of hot water. These baths were fed by hot springs that bubbled up under the mountains of Gondolin, so as Elenwë moved further away, clouds of steam obscured the curves of her body. Aredhel hurriedly removed her own clothing and followed.

Down the marble steps and into the warm water. Aredhel sighed with relief as she felt her muscles relaxing. She joined Elenwë on the far side of the bath, where an underwater ledge was carved out of the stone to form a bench they could sit on.

The cupboards by the entrance were stocked with scented soaps and soft, fluffy towels. Aredhel saw that Elenwë had taken a bar of the rose soap, unsurprisingly - if nothing else, the abundance of red and white in the queen’s gardens should have given away Elenwë’s liking for the scent of that particular flower.

“May I bathe you?” Aredhel asked, and it seemed that the heat of the baths had loosened her tongue as well as her muscles, because the words came easily and without shame. Elenwë looked momentarily surprised, then nodded.

Aredhel took the bar of soap and rubbed it between her hands, building up a foam. She then ran her hands over Elenwë’s body, pausing now and then to replenish the soap, enjoying the feeling of Elenwë’s skin against her fingers, slick with soap and water. 

Even better were the soft, satisfied sighs that Elenwë gave as Aredhel worked her over, the queen relaxing into her. When she snuck a glance at her face, Aredhel found that Elenwë’s eyes were closed, a small smile dancing on her lips. 

“You are beautiful,” she whispered, and Elenwë laughed gently.

“There is no need to flatter, Ireth.”

“Tis only the truth.” Aredhel’s hands slipped underwater, rubbing the bar of soap against Elenwë’s legs, working her way up. As she approached the joining of her thighs, Elenwë reached down and removed the soap from her hands.

“Gentle, now,” Elenwë murmured as Aredhel’s hands moved towards her center. Aredhel cleaned her there with a delicate touch, and as she worked between Elenwë’s folds, she could see the flush of red climbing Elenwë’s cheeks.

“May I kiss you?” she asked, and when Elenwë nodded, she pressed her lips to Elenwë’s, feeling the warm dampness of condensed steam there. Elenwë’s hand moved to between Aredhel’s legs.

Aredhel broke away long enough to whisper, “Please.” Elenwë smiled, then pressed her tongue into Aredhel’s mouth, effectively silencing her even as she slid one finger, then another into Aredhel. Aredhel moved so she was straddling Elenwë’s lap, opening her legs to give the queen better access.

Their limbs slipped against each other, churning the water up around them as Aredhel moved her hips. Elenwë’s fingers thrust in and out of her, aided by the water all around them, thumb circling her clit gently. 

Aredhel felt her climax building embarrassingly quickly - doubtless because of how Elenwë had denied her the night before. She grasped the edge of the bath, stone digging into her palms. Elenwë lowered her head to suck at one of her nipples, and Aredhel nearly cried out.

“May I--” she gasped.

Elenwë chuckled and nodded.

Aredhel threw back her head and bit her lip, riding out her climax on Elenwë’s hand, legs shaking and sex clenching around Elenwë’s fingers. Elenwë slowed her movements as Aredhel’s orgasm subsided.

“Thank you,” Aredhel managed, once she had gathered her wits about her again.

“It seemed only fair,” Elenwë replied. Aredhel laughed.

“This isn’t supposed to be about  _ fair _ , now, is it?”

Elenwë considered this, then laughed as well. “I suppose not.”


	8. begging you to take me

 

Aredhel’s days fell into an easy rhythm - during the day, she would go about her business as usual, riding in the valley or sitting in on council meetings. At night, she would wait for the queen’s summons. Elenwë did not always ask her to come to her chambers, and Aredhel supposed that often she was too tired to engage in anything more strenuous than falling straight into bed and sleeping. Still, when Aredhel did end up in the queen’s quarters - those were the best nights.

Often, Elenwë would have Aredhel undress her and brush her hair, performing simple tasks that any servant could have done. Aredhel would have been offended had anyone else ordered her to do such, but for Elenwë she would do anything. And sometimes, Elenwë wanted nothing more than for Aredhel to kneel at her feet while Elenwë wrote at her desk, or lie against her and let Elenwë run her hand leisurely up and down Aredhel’s back while she read.

But other times...

_ Come to me in two hours, _ Elenwë had whispered in her ear after dinner, a light in her eyes that suggested she would be doing  _ much  _ more than writing letters tonight.

Which, of course, had effectively distracted Aredhel for the next two hours, making it impossible to focus on anything besides pacing back and forth, waiting for time to pass. As soon as the designated time was up, she bolted up the stairs, towards the queen’s rooms.

Elenwë let her in, smiling. “Did you run up here?”

Aredhel tried to calm her breathing before answering. “Of course not.”

“Well.” Elenwë looked her up and down. “Are you ready?”

Aredhel nodded. Elenwë leaned in and kissed her, a surprisingly chaste press of lips against lips before pulling back. She nodded towards the bed, and Aredhel moved to sit down on it. Elenwë forestalled her with a hand on her arm.

“Take off your clothes.”

Aredhel blushed and hurried to undo the tie on her robe - worn specifically to be easy to take off, but it was still mildly embarrassing to stand there, naked, when Elenwë was still wearing clothing. That, however, turned out to be a short-lived worry, as Elenwë turned, presenting the stays of her dress to Aredhel.

“Undress me.”

Aredhel had gotten better at undoing the complicated fastenings favored by the royal court at the moment, but her fingers still fumbled in her eagerness. When she was finished, Elenwë stepped away, pushing her dress to the floor, revealing her lack of undergarments. Aredhel stared.

“Did you - were you clothed like this all day?”

Elenwë chuckled. “I was, indeed.”

Aredhel felt a rush of heat. The thought of Elenwë sitting in council meeting, nothing between her and her dress but bare skin - in front of all the stuffy court members, no less - was maddeningly arousing.

“Please tell me next time you do that,” she breathed.

“Would that not only serve as further distraction from the councils?”

“I  _ need _ distraction, Elenwë. It would be - amusing to you, no? To know that I was thinking only of you for hours on end.”

Elenwë smiled. “Do you not do that already?”

“Ah, well.” Aredhel looked away, embarrassed. “Perhaps.” She gestured to the bed. “Are we going to begin?”

“Impatient, are we?” But Elenwë moved to sit on the bed, hand trailing up Aredhel’s arm. She kissed her again, deeper this time, tongue flicking out into Aredhel’s mouth, teeth scraping against her bottom lip until Aredhel gasped. 

When Elenwë pulled back, Aredhel couldn’t help the small noise of frustration that escaped her. She squeezed her thighs together, embarrassingly aroused. Elenwë raised an eyebrow.

“Doesn’t take much, does it?”

Aredhel let out a soft whine. “That’s not fair.”

“Well, if a simple kiss gets you so heated, I cannot imagine what more might do.” Elenwë looked amused. 

“Please do more,” Aredhel whispered. 

“Very well.” Elenwë leaned back against the headboard and spread her legs wide. She ran a hand down her own stomach, trailing fingers through the thick golden hair that grew between her legs. 

Aredhel inhaled sharply. 

“I am your queen, Ireth.” Elenwë’s eyes were dark with desire, breath heavy and hot. “How do you worship your queen?”

Aredhel leaned in. “May I touch you?”

Elenwë looked pleased. “You may.”

Aredhel kissed her, long and slow, running her hands up to encircle Elenwë’s breasts as she did so, fingers teasing at her nipples. She tugged them gently, feeling them harden under her touch. Elenwë arched into her hands, and Aredhel couldn’t help giving her ample breasts a small squeeze, admiring the way the soft flesh filled the palms of her hands.

She moved her mouth down Elenwë’s neck, pressing kisses to Elenwë’s throat and collarbone. Elenwë shuddered under her when Aredhel found the sensitive spot in the hollow of her neck, hands going up to tangle in Aredhel’s hair. After a time spent giving that spot attention, Aredhel moved to Elenwë’s breasts, taking her left nipple in her mouth and sucking softly.

Elenwë’s hands fell to the bedsheets, clutching at them as Aredhel switched between breasts, kissing and sucking at them. She trailed kisses down her stomach, hands going to Elenwë’s hips to steady her.

Everything about Elenwë was soft and warm. Aredhel lost herself in the worship of her body, hands and lips busy finding the spots that would make Elenwë sigh with pleasure. She mouthed at Elenwë’s inner thighs, coming teasingly close to her center, but drawing back every time she got too close. 

“Ireth--”

Aredhel pressed her lips to Elenwë’s right thigh, inches from her sex. “Yes?” she teased. 

Elenwë made a noise of frustration and pulled at Aredhel’s hair, dragging her mouth inwards. Aredhel found her face buried in Elenwë’s wetness, tongue flooded with the sweet taste of her queen. She lapped at it eagerly, alternating between long strokes and quick little flicks at her clit. 

“Put your fingers in me,” Elenwë gasped, hips moving against Aredhel’s mouth, and Aredhel complied, pressing first one finger, then another two knuckles deep into Elenwë. She felt Elenwë’s tight heat clamping down on them as she moved them in and out. She tried to match the movements of her tongue with those of her fingers, finding a rhythm that would make Elenwë gasp and writhe. 

She built her up slowly, moving quickly then pulling back, teasing at Elenwë’s sex with slow movements until Elenwë bucked her hips in impatience. After a time, Elenwë’s moans grew louder, her thrusts more urgent.

Aredhel curled her fingers and tongued hard at Elenwë’s clit and felt Elenwë shake as she climaxed, hands knotting in the bedsheets as her back arched off the bed. Aredhel gave a few last licks and pulled out to watch Elenwë sink back down onto the bed, face flushed and breath coming hard.

“I have a small surprise for you,” Elenwë murmured once she had regained her composure. Aredhel drew back, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

“You do?”

Elenwë swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood. Aredhel watched her cross the room, entranced by the sway of her bare hips, and almost did not realize that Elenwë was opening the wardrobe.

A coil of black rope fell onto the floor. It took a second for Aredhel to realize what it must be for - then she felt the breath catch in her throat with excitement.

“Are you averse to the idea of me binding you to the bed?” Elenwë asked.

Aredhel shook her head emphatically. “That sounds more than pleasing.”

Elenwë nodded. “Very well. Get on your back.”

She complied, and Elenwë took her wrists and guided them above her head, wrapping the rope around them. It was surprisingly soft, and did not chafe at all when it ran over her skin. Elenwë placed two fingers between the rope and her wrist and began to wrap it around, first tying Aredhel’s wrists together, then winding the rope around a convenient notch in the carved headboard. 

Aredhel did her best to relax as Elenwë worked. Slowly, it became near impossible to move, as Elenwë worked her way down her body, running a rope around her waist and under the bed, then fastening her ankles to either bedpost, keeping Aredhel’s legs spread.

“Where did you learn these knots?” Aredhel asked, tugging gently at the ropes and marveling at how little they gave.

“I used to spend summers among the Teleri. There was a girl there who taught me all manner of ties.” Elenwë fastened the loose end of the rope and moved back. “I may have - repurposed a few of them for this.”

Aredhel tested her bindings and found that even with her not inconsiderable strength, they did not move at all. 

“Are they too tight?” Elenwë asked. Aredhel shook her head.

“I will not be escaping, though.”

“Good.” Elenwë ran a hand up Aredhel’s leg. “Shall we begin?” 

Aredhel shivered and nodded.


	9. make you fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "this will update weekly" i said at the beginning of this fic
> 
> ..........i lied

 

Elenwë circled the bed, trailing a hand up Aredhel’s leg as she moved. Without warning, her hand rose and descended sharply, striking Aredhel’s thigh. The stinging pain shocked Aredhel, but it quickly melted into the arousal heating up her body.

“You remember your word?” Elenwë whispered.

Aredhel nodded.

“I do not mean to drive you to using it tonight,” Elenwë added, and the implication - not tonight, but perhaps some other night - made Aredhel shiver. A part of her (and not a small part, either)  _ wanted _ Elenwë to do that.

Elenwë smacked her again, this time on the other thigh. Aredhel let her head fall back against the pillow as Elenwë dug her nails into soft flesh, raking them over her hip, across the muscles of her stomach. She arched her back, lips parting, and Elenwë gave a soft chuckle.

“You have no idea how you look,” Elenwë murmured, a heat in her eyes. “Spread out for me, helpless--

Aredhel managed to cut off the whine that rose in her throat at those words.

“I could do anything to you.” Elenwë swung herself up onto the bed, moving to kneel between Aredhel’s spread legs. She brushed her fingers against the rope across Aredhel’s middle. “What would you let me do to you, I wonder?”

“Anything,” Aredhel breathed. Elenwë laughed.

“It is unwise of you to assert that. Who  _ knows _ what I might have in mind for you.”

“I don’t - ah!” Aredhel caught her breath as Elenwë’s hand descended on her breast, pulling at her nipple. The touch alone was enough to make Aredhel shiver, but when Elenwë gave a sharp twist - the flash of pain made Aredhel arch her back and pant.

“How does that feel?” Elenwë asked.

“It hurts.” Aredhel swallowed. “Do it again?”

Elenwë lifted a brow, but looked amused. “Forgetting our manners, are we?”

“Please?”

“If you insist.” Elenwë took both of Aredhel’s nipples between her fingers and twisted them, pulling at Aredhel’s breasts as she did so. Aredhel tried to squirm away, but the ropes binding her to the bed prevented it. Elenwë released her, then lowered her head to Aredhel’s left breast and lapped gently at the ache.

Aredhel sighed, relaxing into her bindings as Elenwë ran her tongue over her nipple, circling the tender bud. She revelled in the softness of Elenwë’s mouth against her - and then stiffened as Elenwë bit down, sending a flare of pain through her.

“That wasn’t nice,” Aredhel panted as Elenwë drew back, giving one last flick of her tongue to the reddened flesh.

Elenwë grinned, baring her teeth playfully. “Which is why you enjoyed it, no?” 

Aredhel averted her eyes. “I - suppose so.”

“No need for shame here. There is nothing you could do that would make me stop wanting you.”

A smile tugged at the corners of Aredhel’s lips. “I’m glad.”

Elenwë ran her hands up Aredhel’s side, then cupped her breasts in both hands. Giving them a small squeeze, she pressed a kiss to Aredhel’s other nipple. “Now. It would hardly be fair if I gave one of these preferential treatment, hm?”

Aredhel braced herself as Elenwë bit gently at her, worrying at the sensitive spot with her teeth until Aredhel was gasping. Every touch, every flare of pain was going straight to her center, making the wetness between her legs increase. 

Elenwë alternated between sucking and biting, hands busy touching Aredhel wherever she could reach. Aredhel’s world narrowed to the feeling of Elenwë’s mouth and fingers against her, the haze of pleasure broken intermittently by flashes of pain. 

She gasped when Elenwë slipped a hand between her legs, teasing at her entrance. Aredhel tried to lift her hips into the touch, but the ropes held her firmly to the bed. This was going to be frustrating, she realized.

Elenwë must have noticed this as well, because she smiled, moving down to press a kiss to Aredhel’s left thigh. “Do you want more?”

“Yes, please,” Aredhel whispered.

“Too bad.” Elenwë swatted at her center, and the stinging, intimate pain made Aredhel’s mind go blank for a moment. “You will get what I want you to, and nothing more.”

Aredhel nodded.

“Now.” Elenwë ran a finger gently over Aredhel’s folds. “I mean to tease you until you beg.”

Aredhel’s eyes widened.

Elenwë slipped a finger inside Aredhel, then drew out, using the wetness to lubricate as she rubbed at Aredhel’s clit. The touch, though soft, still sent sparks up and down Aredhel’s body. Elenwë alternated between stroking her clit and thrusting with first one finger, then two, pulling Aredhel closer to climax.

Just as Aredhel felt her hips start to stutter with need, orgasm approaching like a crashing wave, Elenwë pulled out. For a moment, Aredhel trembled on the brink, legs trembling - and then nothing. If she could just free her hands, she could finish herself off with one touch, but Elenwë did not seem in a merciful mood. This was the most excruciating torture, to be held at the edge but not allowed to finish. 

_ Eru, but if this is what she has in mind for tonight, I don’t know how long I can last. _

When Elenwë seemed to judge that Aredhel had calmed down enough, she began to touch her again, fingers moving in and out with increasing speed. Once again, Aredhel found herself getting closer and closer. She tried to lie still, to give no indication, but Elenwë withdrew at the last second once more, leaving Aredhel shaking on the edge.

On the third time, something in Aredhel broke. “Please,” she gasped. “I can’t - I need--”

Elenwë smirked. “That didn’t take much, did it?”

A hot prickle of embarrassment flooded Aredhel’s skin. “I can’t help that you’re so good at this,” she protested. 

“I think it has less to do with my skill and more to do with your - desperation.” Elenwë pressed a kiss to Aredhel’s clit, and Aredhel clamped her mouth shut, trying not to whimper. “You do not finish without my permission.”

“I know.” Aredhel gritted her teeth as Elenwë began to thrust with her fingers again, thumb rubbing at her clit. The queen had gotten  _ good _ at this, terrifyingly so. It was like she knew Aredhel’s body inside and out, knew just how to manipulate it to her wishes. 

She felt orgasm approaching again. but Elenwë showed no signs of stopping. “May I finish?”

Elenwë shook her head. “No.”

Aredhel whined, the sound sharp. “Please?”

“ _ No _ ,” Elenwë repeated, but her fingers moved faster. Aredhel shook with the effort of holding her orgasm back.

“Elenwë, I can’t - please--”

“You will refrain until I give you permission.” The commanding tone of Elenwë’s voice wasn’t  _ helping, _ it just made Aredhel more desperate. She squirmed in her bindings, trying to get away from Elenwë’s hand, but it was useless. The ropes dug into her skin, making her feel helpless, exposed. 

A stream of begging and wordless noises poured from Aredhel’s mouth as Elenwë continued. It was too  _ much _ , she couldn’t hold on, it was--

“Yes,” Elenwë finally said. At first, Aredhel thought she had misheard, but when she craned her neck to look at the queen, Elenwë nodded. “You may finish.”

Aredhel let go, her climax rushing over her like a strong wind as her eyes slammed shut. Elenwë kept touching her through it. Aredhel could feel her sex clenching around Elenwë’s fingers, her oversensitive clit lighting up as Elenwë’s thumb slipped over it.

Finally, Elenwë drew her hand away. Aredhel slumped back onto the bed, head spinning as the last tremors of her orgasm ran through her body. She barely noticed Elenwë starting to undo the ropes that bound her to the bed. The queen took her time, gently rubbing Aredhel’s skin, picking apart each knot with care. It took enough time that Aredhel was able to catch her breath, the warm afterglow pooling in her body. All she wanted to do was feel Elenwë against her. 

Once she was free, Aredhel rolled onto her side. “May I hold you?”

Elenwë nodded, curling up with her back against Aredhel. Aredhel wrapped her arms around Elenwë and buried her face in the queen’s hair, damp with sweat, still smelling of roses and lilac.

“As fun as this is,” Aredhel said after a time, “I can think of a few ways we can improve.”

“Oh?” Elenwë twisted to look at her. “And how might that be?”

“I know a woman - very discreet - who makes all sorts of fascinating devices for the bedroom. Perhaps we ought to pay her a visit.”

Elenwë raised an eyebrow. “And you know this - how?”

“You are hardly the first person I have lain with who was a bit more adventurous than the typical.” She refrained from adding,  _ though you are the first I have cared so much about. _ “We could go in disguise, I’ve done it before.”

“If you truly want to, I see no reason why we shouldn’t at least try.” Elenwë nestled further into Aredhel’s arms, yawning.

“I can’t stay the night,” Aredhel reminded her gently. Elenwë made a noise of protest.

“You can stay at least a little while.”

Aredhel smiled. “I suppose so.”


	10. my lover's the sunlight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welcome to the new year have some girlfriends shopping for sex toys

They did not get a chance to visit the shop Aredhel had mentioned until the next week - Elenwë was busy with court business, as the queen of Gondolin often was. Aredhel did not mind. The moments she did get to share with her were golden and shining, infrequent though they were.

It was raining lightly the day they finally went, gray skies gloomy overhead and a fine silvering of water spreading itself across the fabric of Aredhel’s cloak as they made their way through the lower streets of the city. She and Elenwë wore thick, common clothing, homespun wool and the like that Aredhel had borrowed from a servant she knew was about the right size. It was not the first time she had disguised herself for a tryst or other discreet mission, so the thrill of sneaking around in a disguise had somewhat worn off for her. 

Elenwë, on the other hand, seemed enchanted with the intrigue of it all. The queen’s golden hair - so easily recognizable - was tied back and bundled into her hood, which was drawn down over her face. In the grays and browns of common clothing, with dirt smudged across her face to hide her high cheekbones, Aredhel would almost have not recognized the glittering monarch of Gondolin. She imagined it must be a refreshing experience for Elenwë to walk the streets without all the trappings of royal life, without anyone recognizing her.

“Are we almost there?” Elenwë whispered. Aredhel nodded and took her elbow, directing her down a side street. Water dripped from the roofs of the houses, which were pressed close together here, rain trickling and pooling on the stone cobblestones. Here, hardly anyone spent much time, especially in the rain - the only visible living thing was a water-logged dog sitting against a wall, drops rolling off its panting tongue.

They reached a dark blue door, and Aredhel gestured for Elenwë to stop. 

“Hopefully she’s in,” Aredhel muttered before knocking thrice on the door, quick and sharp.

A moment passed. Elenwë shifted from foot to foot beside her, blowing rain out of her face. Then the door creaked open, revealing a tall, tawny-skinned woman with auburn hair pulled back from her face. She wore a long, dark blue dress that brushed the floor, tied with a gold sash.

“Yes?” she asked. Aredhel removed her hood.

“We’re here to see you, Madame.”

Recognition flashed across the woman’s face. “Ah, you wish to peruse my wares?” When Aredhel nodded assent, she stepped aside, gesturing them inside. Elenwë followed, keeping her hood up.

Inside was a long hallway that opened out into a large room paneled with a fine, dark wood. Candlestands placed around the room on various surfaces cast a warm glow over the area. Against the walls were long tables, and on those tables were a variety of implements. Aredhel watched Elenwë’s eyes light up at the sight.

“I will leave you to examine them,” the woman told them. “Call me when you are ready.” She swept out of the room, closing the door softly behind her. Elenwë shook free of her hood and leaned closer to examine the table to her immediate right. On it were a variety of whips, riding crops, and other things that Aredhel could imagine fitting very well in the queen’s hands.

“Do these interest you?” she asked as Elenwë picked up a leather flogger, swishing the strands back and forth through the air. Elenwë nodded.

“Do you think you’d like this?”

“Of course.” Aredhel bent over the table teasingly, angling her body away from Elenwë. “Want to test it out on me?”

Elenwë laughed, then raised the flogger. She brought it down with a swift snap of her wrist, landing a stinging blow across the back of Aredhel’s upper thighs. Aredhel arched her back and bit her lip.

“Get that one, please,” she said.

They spent the better part of an hour looking through the wares the woman had left for them. Elenwë lingered over one table in particular for a long while - the surface was laden with carefully arranged phalluses made of wood or glass or stone. In the end, she selected two: a slightly curved one made of a rich, polished wood, and a leather padded one with a length and girth that made Aredhel’s eyes widen. Both flared out at the base and had holes through which straps on the included harness could be threaded. 

Outside, the rain pattering against the window ceased. Weak rays of light filtered through the windows, catching on Elenwë’s hair, turning wayward strands into threads of gold. Aredhel watched Elenwë move between tables, brow furrowed with concentration, sometimes lifting a toy to ask Aredhel her opinion on it. 

_ Eru, but she’s beautiful. _

Not for the first time, gratitude swelled in her chest - that she had gotten so lucky, that Elenwë had reciprocated her attraction. This moment, now, with Elenwë in the sunlight and a smile on her face - Aredhel wanted to incase it in glass and keep it forever. 

Eventually, once they had assembled a pile of toys that both of them found suitable, they called the shopkeeper back in to pay her. They left with their purchases in a simple cloth sack, unobtrusive and unlikely to arouse suspicion.

“I’m looking forward to using these,” Elenwë told her, a gleam in her eyes. Aredhel felt a prickle of heat run through her body.

“As am I,” she agreed. 


	11. till i forget my name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Playing with toys.

“Are you ready?”

Aredhel swallowed, flexing her wrists against the ropes that bound them to the headboard. Elenwë stood at the foot of the bed, stripped naked save for the harness around her hips, to which the wooden cock was affixed. She had slicked it with oil, its gleaming length jutting out from her body, and just the sight of it made Aredhel shiver.

Distracted by the sight, she did not expect the stinging blow that landed on the sole of her bare foot, tied to the bedpost. She yelped, eyes flying to Elenwë’s face. The queen had a teasing expression as she rubbed Aredhel’s foot where she had struck it.

“I asked you a question,” Elenwë said softly, a gleam in her eyes.

“Yes,” Aredhel blurted out. “I’m ready, milady.” 

The title slipped out without thought, but Elenwë seemed pleased at it. She leaned down and pressed a light kiss to the inside of Aredhel’s calf, then began to work her way up Aredhel’s body, a trail of warmth that went straight to Aredhel’s center. Metaphorically speaking, that is - Elenwë  _ very purposefully _ avoided the exact spot Aredhel wanted her to pay attention to, instead kissing her lower belly, her ribs, the underside of her breasts. 

By now, Elenwë was nearly stretched out entirely over Aredhel’s body, arms braced on either side of Aredhel’s waist, lips hovering over her left nipple. Aredhel could  _ feel _ the queen’s breath tickling at sensitive skin. 

“Please,” she breathed, the word slipping out in a rush, and she felt Elenwë laugh against her.

“Begging already?”

She bit her lip, face heating up, and Elenwë laughed again. Her tongue darted out, teasing at Aredhel’s nipple, and when she pulled back to blow on it, the cold was like a piece of ice pressed to her. Which, now that she thought about it—

She was saved from further musings on that by the sharp pain of Elenwë’s teeth nipping at the delicate skin of her breast. “Is your mind wandering?” Elenwë asked, a hint of steel in her voice, and Aredhel shook her head. “It had better not be.”

And  _ oh _ , the gentle threat in that voice only made the arousal growing in her that much stronger.

She felt the oiled tip of the cock press against her thigh, and arched her hips to meet it, but Elenwë pulled away. Pressed a kiss to Aredhel’s mouth, instead, all tongue and teeth and hot breath. When she pulled back, Aredhel could see a redness climbing the queen’s cheeks. 

“I want you  _ begging _ for it by the time I’m done with you,” Elenwë whispered. 

“Begging for what?” Aredhel asked, and she meant it to be teasing but it came out more breathless. Elenwë smiled, and it was not a gentle smile.

“You tell me. What do you want me to do to you?” One of her hands snuck up to toy with Aredhel’s nipple, tweaking the sensitive nub until Aredhel was simultaneously arching her back into the touch and trying to squirm away. Her entire body felt on fire, every place Elenwë touched her a sparking point. 

“Tell me,” Elenwë breathed and something in Aredhel broke.

“I want you to fuck me,” she gasped out, “I want you to fuck me  _ hard _ , take me here and make me yours, please, I want  _ you _ \--”

Elenwë cut off her babbling with another kiss, a light of victory in her eyes. Her hand slipped down to Aredhel’s sex, running through the slick folds with a gentle, tantalizing touch. Aredhel wanted - needed - more, but the ropes kept her from pushing forward too insistently. Besides, she knew that if she tried that, Elenwë would pull away those fingers that were—

“Oh,” Aredhel breathed as Elenwë slipped two fingers into her, and as aroused as she was, they entered easily. Elenwë pumped them in and out with a languid motion, scissoring them apart to stretch Aredhel, thumb teasing underneath her clit. Aredhel was  _ dripping _ wet, her body pulsing with need. 

Elenwë continued in this manner for some time, slow and deliberate, stoking the fire in Aredhel’s center until she was trembling. She needed Elenwë to touch her more. Her fists clenched and unclenched, pinned to the headboard by the rope that she was now straining against almost unconsciously - but Elenwë knew her knots, and the bindings held fast. 

She was rocking her hips without meaning to, trying to drive Elenwë’s fingers deeper. Soft whimpers spilled from her mouth, and Elenwë answered with a soft, breathless laugh.

“How are you doing?” Elenwë murmured. 

“Please don’t stop,” Aredhel answered. Elenwë chuckled, slowing her movements slightly, and Aredhel whined, straining to push forward into the queen’s hand.

“Are you desperate for me yet?”

Aredhel bit her lip and nodded vigorously. “I want - I  _ need  _ you.”

Elenwë kissed her neck, mouthing at the sensitive skin, and Aredhel felt a shiver go down her spine. Before she could gasp, Elenwë pulled back, hand going to the wooden phallus at her waist, lining it up with Aredhel’s sex. 

A pause. Elenwë’s arms trembled with the effort of holding herself up over Aredhel, and Aredhel could feel the cool, oil-slicked head of the cock pressing gentle as a promise against her.

Aredhel broke the quiet with a desperate, “ _ please _ .” As if that had been the signal she was waiting for, Elenwë began to slide into her slowly, making Aredhel feel every inch entering her. By the time Elenwë’s hips were pressed against Aredhel’s, Aredhel was gasping at the feeling of being filled so intimately.

“Don’t stop,” she said in a rush when Elenwë looked down at her, a question in her eyes. “Don’t stop, just keep - please--”

Elenwë pulled back, and the friction of the cock pulling out made Aredhel arch her back. She was not entirely prepared for Elenwë to thrust back in, hard. A flare of pleasure, bright as the sun, and she gasped, nodding for Elenwë to continue.

As though encouraged, Elenwë began to thrust in and out, her breath coming faster, sweat dampening her skin. Aredhel threw her head back, raising her hips to meet Elenwë’s, and with each movement in her sex she could feel her climax approaching, towering over her like a wave.

“May I finish?” she managed to say, more or less intelligibly. 

“You may,” Elenwë replied, and there was a gleam in her eyes that promised something more, but Aredhel couldn’t think on it for too long because she was coming on Elenwë’s cock, legs spasming with the force of it. Elenwë continued to fuck her through it, and Aredhel rode the feeling of bliss, the heat that suffused her body. It was so  _ much _ , she thought as it faded, so much stimulation, and--

\--and Elenwë showed no signs of slowing down.

“What--” she gasped, then cut off with a soft cry as Elenwë gave a particularly deep thrust.

“I didn’t say I would stop,” the queen said, a sharp smile on her face, and several choice curses rose to Aredhel’s mind but did not make it past her lips - mostly because she was more occupied with the rising sensitivity of her sex, the way every movement sent lightning through her, and it was too much of a raw feeling to be called pleasure, but it wasn’t exactly  _ pain _ , either. It was certainly  _ overwhelming _ , though.

Elenwë slipped a hand between their bodies and rubbed at Aredhel’s clit. Aredhel felt her face twisting as she tried to contain the cry bubbling up in her throat. Her skin was on fire, the stimulation of oversensitive skin nearly torture.

She felt no buildup to her second climax, only a bolt of sensation that tore through her and left her quivering. Distantly, she was aware of Elenwë stopping, pulling out, but she was lost in the buzzing feeling dancing over her skin, the way her heartbeat echoed in her ears.

By the time she came back to herself, Elenwë had shed the harness and was untying her with gentle fingers. She leaned her head into Elenwë’s arm, wanting to be close, and the queen looked down at her with a small smile on her face.

“Did you enjoy that?”

Everything felt warm and comforting and safe, and all Aredhel wanted to do was curl up against Elenwë. She nodded, and the moment her hands were free, she wrapped her arms around Elenwë, burying her face in her soft stomach. 

Elenwë laughed, stroking Aredhel’s hair. “You can’t fall asleep here. I’ll help you back to your room, if you want me to.” She paused, then added, “I also still need to untie your legs.”

A smile tugged at Aredhel’s lips. She let Elenwë go to allow her to move down and loosen the knots that bound her ankles to the bedposts. Elenwë hummed under her breath, tuneless notes of contentment, and Aredhel lay back against the pillows, let out a long, happy breath.


	12. can't hide from the feeling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> disclaimer: the candles used here are beeswax, which burn at a higher temperature than paraffin or soy candles, and are not usually recommended for waxplay due to this. if you’re doing this at home, be aware of [what kind of candle you’re using.](https://www.kinkly.com/hot-stuff-how-to-have-fun-and-be-safe-with-wax-play/2/15205)

Aredhel spent the next several days with a happy glow in her chest, a warmth that seemed to stick around even as the overcast skies burst into rain that pounded against the windows. Even when Elenwë was occupied with court business, even when she had to sit in on meetings and offer her opinion on things she truly did not care about - none of that could dislodge the stubborn feeling of contentment.

At night, she touched herself to the memory of Elenwë’s hands on her, Elenwë penetrating her, Elenwë’s breath on her breasts and neck and lips.

One night, after a lazy climax with Elenwë’s name on her lips that left her with a pleasant humming in her body, she lay under her sheets, considering whether she ought to get up and blow out the candle at her bedside.

The flame flickered in a draft of air, and a drop of wax teetered at the edge of the candle’s tip before slipping over, a spill of gold in a solidifying trail down the waxen side. Aredhel stared at it, mesmerized, and unbidden an image arose in her mind of wax dripping over her skin, leaving trails of gentle fire over her body--

 _Oh_.

Despite the fact that she had recently climaxed, warmth sparked in her center. She resolved to bring her idea up with Elenwë as soon as possible.

***

“Are you sure about this?” Elenwë’s voice was even, her hand around the candlestick steady, but Aredhel could see the concern in her eyes.

“I am.” She paused, then added. “Are you?”

“If you wish to do this - and I confess that I am interested - I only do not want to harm you badly.”

Aredhel shifted, moving so the candlelight caught the curves of her body, gilding her dark skin. She was naked, and bound to the bed again, while Elenwë stood fully clothed above her - something about that contrast aroused her. “I trust you,” she said. “Besides, I doubt you could hurt me so badly that I wouldn’t like it.”

Elenwë gave her a small smile. “Very well.” She twisted the candle free of its stand, golden wax the same shade as her hair, and held it up, setting the candlestick aside. Aredhel inhaled deeply, the sweet smell of beeswax mingling with the musty scent of the old bedsheet they had spread out to protect the blankets.

The first drop of wax hit her skin just above her navel and she gasped at the brilliant flare of pain. The wax cooled quickly, but the tingling, burning feeling lingered longer. Elenwë did not stop; she continued upwards, dripping wax onto Aredhel’s torso in a slow trail, sometimes moving back to go over the spots she had already covered. Where the wax built up, Aredhel felt a almost soothing, more distant warmth, and when it struck her bare skin, she couldn’t help but twist against her bindings, breath catching in her throat.

Elenwë left a constellation of wax drops and pain across her stomach, then moved up, angling the candle up for a moment to keep it from dripping on her. Aredhel saw where she was headed and her eyes widened. She nodded.

The tender skin of her breasts flared with sudden sensation as the wax dripped onto it. Elenwë kept the candle parallel to her, a foot or so above her body, tracing circles of molten wax that spiraled in towards her nipples. Aredhel was panting, her sex _dripping_ with need, the bursts of pain flowering over her skin fueling the fire burning in her.

When the front of her body was painted with wax to Elenwë’s satisfaction, the queen placed the candle back in its holder, then ran a hand up the wax-dripped surface, teasing at Aredhel’s nipples, smiling because she knew Aredhel couldn’t feel it through the wax. It didn’t matter - Aredhel was already on the edge of begging just from the sensation of heated pain, the hunger in Elenwë’s eyes.

“Perhaps one day,” Elenwë murmured, “I can do this again and whip the wax off of you. Would you like that?”

Aredhel nodded, gasped out, “Yes.”

Elenwë smiled. “Someday, then. For now…” Her hand trailed down to between Aredhel’s legs.

It took only a few touches to bring Aredhel to a shattering climax, her body arching off the bed and mouth working soundlessly as pleasure crashed over her.

***

“I have something for you,” Elenwë said once they had rubbed as much of the wax as they could off Aredhel’s skin and bundled up the old, now wax spattered bedsheet to throw it away.

Aredhel, untied but still naked, tilted her head to one side. “For me?”

Elenwë moved to her dresser. From the top drawer emerged a thin wooden box, which she opened to withdraw a thin silver chain. She held it up for Aredhel to see, and the delicate links glimmered in the light.

“If you would like to,” Elenwë said, voice deceptively light, “I would like to mark you as mine.”

Aredhel swallowed. This moment felt heavy with importance, but all she could think about was that word _mine_ , the way Elenwë had lingered on it, how it felt to be claimed by the one she loved. It wasn’t a matter of arousal (though she was sure there would be some of that, too, if she was not so worn out) - no, it was the feeling of safety, of being Elenwë’s, that rose in her throat, made it hard to get the words out.

“I would like that very much,” she said.

Elenwë gestured, and Aredhel knelt before her, head tilted up to allow Elenwë to slip the necklace around her neck. It was cold where it settled against her skin. She heard the clasp click shut, and then Elenwë bent to kiss her, heated and lingering.

“Now service me,” Elenwë said as she pulled away, the hand on the back of Aredhel’s head guiding her forward, to where Elenwë’s sex gleamed with arousal.

She brought her queen to climax with her mouth, savoring every tremble of Elenwë’s legs around her and every gasp that came from her mouth.

 _I’m yours_ , she thought as she felt Elenwë shudder through her orgasm. The necklace had warmed to her skin; she brought a finger up to trace its outline against her collarbone.

_Yours._


End file.
